Home Improvement is Best Left For the Professional

Many people now prefer a DIY home improvement which they think can save much money. But some people hold the opinion that home improvement is best left for these professionals. Highly skilled and experienced, they can give your home a perfectly new look. But you should be wary which kind of contractor you hire.

Without the help of a contractor, the homeowner will feel indirect and do not know where and how to start. Many homeowners who have backgrounds in home improvement will seek the help of the professional, for the idea from a professional really can make difference.

These contractors have experience and practice which homeowners do not possess, even those with backgrounds performing this type of work. These qualities can leave each job in the best shape. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not realize the value of a professional, skilled job. They do this tough job by themselves partially because they want to save money, partially because they do not believe these contractors.

These homeowners are likely to fail in improving their home, for they always start without the comprehensive knowledge. Many homeowners are jumping into home improvement projects they have no idea how to handle. Hiring a skilled professional to do the work will usually end in delight for the homeowner as they are left with a great looking job for a pretty affordable price.

Certainly, there are many dishonest contractors out there; therefore, you should be careful to find a good one who will keep the client’s interest in mind. If you just make some changes on your home design, you should better find a smaller company, instead of a larger one. Smaller companies often will give a home more care and attention, while the larger company usually focuses on the larger projects for they think the small project do not deserve their attention.

Do not hire a contractor who does not seem to take your project seriously. Whatever the project, it is a big deal to the homeowner. They hope for a good result. So it is important to find a contractor who takes a special interest in your project and give much care and attention to your projects to ensure a desirable outcome.

Repairing Laminate Floors

The best way to prevent your laminate floors from damage is to take care of them. By utilizing regular maintenance and care strategies you will be able to remove elements from your floor’s surface that could potentially damage their appearance. One way to protect your laminate floors is to sweep them regularly. This will remove abrasive debris that can dull your floor’s finish, cause gauges and discolor them. The second thing that you can do to keep your floors in good condition is to wipe up spills immediately after they happen. This will minimize damage to the floor planks and keep your laminate flooring from warping. Finally you can use a mild detergent or cleaning product to remove stuck on grime. Do not scrape your laminate floors as this will damage their finish.

If your laminate floors get damaged them you should try to address the problem as soon as possible to protect the integrity of your flooring. Repairing laminate floors can be tricky, especially if the damage makes it necessary to replace a plank. The easiest way to replace a plank is to use a skill saw to cut the plank from the floor. When cutting out the plank be careful not to cut too deeply. To fit the replacement plank you will need to cut off the tongue on the plank. After the tongue has been removed you will need to apply wood glue to the edges of the plank and fit it into place. Wipe any glue that floats to the surface. Finally tape down the plank to keep it in place while the glue sets up.

If your laminate floor is scratched or gauged then you can buy a repair kit to fix the problem. Most laminate flooring manufacturers will offer their own repair kits. These kits will have the right color wood putty to fill in the gauges in your floor seamlessly.

Cosmetic Medicines Ordering, Storage, Supply and Incident Reporting

This article gives an overview of the systems and processes that must be followed by cosmetic clinics when supplying prescription medicines.

A prescription medicine or drug legally requires a qualified doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist to write a prescription for a named patient. The list of drugs and prescribing qualifications may vary in different countries.

A cosmetic clinic must ensure that all medicines are ordered, stored and supplied within the legislative and other relevant pharmaceutical guidelines available.

Therefore ordering, storage and supply of medicines for use within the practice must be undertaken according to appropriate procedures and guidelines to ensure all relevant legislation and pharmaceutical information is adhered to.

Any medicines stored within a typical cosmetic clinic are those used for aesthetic purposes, this includes drugs such as Botox ® and Hyaluronidase. These must be stored according to manufacturer’s guidelines in a locked refrigerator or locked cabinet as appropriate. The temperature of the refrigerator should be monitored and documented daily. If the temperature is found to be outside the recommended range the pharmacy supplier must be informed as soon as possible and if necessary the medicines are returned to the supplier and a new supply obtained.

Supply of Medicines and Maintaining Patient Records for Cosmetic Clinics

The Medical Practitioner is responsible for maintaining a record of medicines obtained from the supplier for use during treatment. A copy of the prescription is retained in the patient’s notes and the following information is noted in the Medicines IN register. The Medical practitioner must include the following details:

– the name of the medicine (generic)

– the dose provided by the pharmacy

– the amount provided by the pharmacy

– the format of the medicine (oral I IM etc)

– the batch numbers and expiry dates

The Medical Practitioner is responsible for ensuring that details of the medicines administered are recorded in the patient notes, including:

– the name of the medicine (generic)

– the dose provided

– the route of administration

– the batch number and expiry date of the medicine

– the date and time of administration

The Medical Practitioner must also document in the Medicines OUT register the name of the patient the medicine was administered to and the date and time of administration. This will ensure an audit trail is available for each practitioner.

All medicines not used or expired must be returned to the pharmacy.

In conclusion only a medical professional should be accepted on a cosmetic training course. This will ensure all practitioners have experience with the use of prescription only medicines and record keeping. The medical practitioner who facilitates a cosmetic intervention should be a qualified doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist. These specialists have the prerequisite medical experience plus understand their legal and ethical requirements in prescribing, dispensing and administration of such drugs.

Any errors with the medication must be recorded and reported.

Reporting a Medication Incident

A cosmetic clinic must ensure that all medication incidents follow local legislative and other guidelines for your country of practice. The following is based on the UK CQC guidelines.

All practitioners involved with medication prescribing, dispensing or administration must be aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a medication error or near miss.

Medication errors or near misses will occur despite having risk procedures in place, and all personnel involved in medication prescribing, dispensing or administration are at risk of being involved an error or a near miss. Because of this, comprehensive reporting of all medication incidents is crucial to enable the organization to learn from mistakes and improve practice wherever possible.

All incidents involving medication prescribing, dispensing or administration, ‘near misses’ and serious drug reactions must be documented on the Incident Report Form. A medication error is a preventable incident or omission that results in an increase in the risk of patient harm. A ‘near miss’ is a medication error that is discovered before it reaches the patient, thus preventing harm to the patient.

What to Report

The following are some of the issues that require an incident report:

– incorrect dose administered (both over and under dosing)

– incorrect route of administration

– incorrect rate of administration

– incorrect drug administered

– administration to the wrong patient

– failure to document administration in the patient’s medical notes

– administration of an expired drug

– prescribing errors

– incorrect labels

– allergies not recorded

– serious adverse effects including allergic reactions

Near Misses will also be recorded on the Incident Report form.

How to Report Medication errors

Medication errors involving administration to a patient will be documented in the patient’s notes. The Medical Practitioner should inform the patient.

The incident should be documented fully before the end of the day. This report form must be completed by the Medical Practitioner and given to the Practice Manager without delay.

Follow Up Procedures for Medication Errors

A follow-up is undertaken by the Medical Practitioner to ensure the safety of the patient. If necessary the patient must be referred to the nearest Emergency department for further review. The Practice Manager must undertake an investigation into the event ensuring a statement is taken from those involved.

The incident must be discussed at the next Clinical Governance meeting and an action plan developed to aim to prevent recurrence; this may include further training for the personnel involved.

Any severe medication incident must be reported to the within 24 hours of it occurring.

I hope you enjoyed the article. For more information about medicines and their regulations you can check with the Department of Health and MRHA in the UK. In the USA please refer to The Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Of Film Festivals, Creativity, and Copyrights

Movies with poor reviews do not necessarily give anyone the excuse to pirate them. Art is subjective and stealing is wrong. These are two truths that should be recalled when dealing with piracy. It is not wrong to share content as long as it doesn’t cross any copyright. Copyrighted materials are certified and protected, and owners have grounds for copyright infringement claim if necessary.

Film Festivals

The world constantly asks for innovation; that’s almost a rule. In film festivals, exploration and development meet. Storytellers who take risks with fresh ideas get to display their original work. It is where indie or independent artists show off their stories without political and commercial pressures, and restrictions.

Film festivals connect artists and audiences in several countries. It is a place where both established and emerging artists show documentary and dramatic films, innovative short films, cutting-edge media and art installations, and live music performances. It brings together the modern day’s most original storytellers and supports engaging programs for students and the community.

Every film festival welcomes distinguished artists and opens great opportunities for students and newcomers. Some movies are even directed by celebrities. For example, “The Company You Keep” was directed and starred by an American actor. This political thriller was well-crafted, and the creator skilfully directed a cast of talented actors. When this TCYK LLC film was pirated, copyright holders tracked the infringers to protect their rights.

Media Copyright Literacy

While you play other people’s intellectual property, it is essential to have a basic understanding of what is legal and ethical. Everyone should learn how to be a good digital citizen and get familiar with the copyright law and respect content creators and their original work.

Upon creation, any work is automatically copyright-protected. When your work is capable of copyright protection, it is likely that you own the copyright. However, copyright might belong to someone else if you have assigned or transferred your copyright in writing. Also, ideas cannot be protected unless it is made into its material expression like a painting, novel, or film. So it is important to transform your ideas in its material form.

Copyright protection applies to all formats whether it’s in print, online, or digital media. While there are organizations that protect freedom of expression and help people understand their rights and responsibilities around copyright law, there are also entities like the owners of the TCYK LLC film that are dedicated to protecting the rights of creators and content owners.

Only the original content holders have the exclusive right to the use of their work. It isn’t fair that other people commoditize from other people’s work without their consent. Copying and distributing others’ work without permission is copyright infringement, which means illegal distributors could be charged with a huge sum for damages.

Creativity is unique, and artists deserve all credits due to them. Some are too passionate about their craft that they don’t mind how their work is being used. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to all. Most creators need financial support to make and produce their work. Pirating does not help them in any way.

Health Is the Strength of a Country

The development of the health of the world very rapidly now makes the emergence of new discoveries in anticipation of a disease or how to cure a disease.

While the definition of health is a prosperous state of body, soul, and the social that allows every person to live a socially and economically productive.

Health care is an effort to combating and prevention of health problems that require examination, treatment and / or treatment, including pregnancy and childbirth.

With increasing health consciousness of a nation will make the standard of living and economy of a nation’s level will be high. This makes many governments in various countries that provide health budget to more than 20% of their total expenditure per year.

Health Development Goals

For long-term health development is directed to the achievement of key objectives as follows:

1. Increased ability of communities to help themselves in the field of health.
2. Improvement of environmental quality that can ensure the health.
3. Improved nutritional status of the community.
4. Reduction of morbidity (morbidity) and death (mortality).
5. The development of healthy families prosper, with growing acceptance of small family norm of a happy and prosperous.

As for the basics of national development in health sector are as follows:

1. Every citizen is entitled to obtain an optimal level of health to work and live properly in accordance with human dignity.
2. Government and society are responsible for maintaining and enhancing people’s health status.
3. Implementation of health measures stipulated by the government and conducted in a harmonious and balanced by the government and society.

Why Is a Driving Licence Check and Validation Important?

If you run a fleet management company, you will have drivers who work for your company. In this case, it is the employers responsibility to make sure that their employees hold a valid UK driving licence. A Driving licence validation can help protect employers from having to pay unnecessary penalties.

The status of a driving licence may change many times for a number of reasons. In some cases a driver may not even know about the status change. After the first validation of a licence has been done, the next validation is automatically scheduled. However, the frequency of this licence checking process is usually based on a driver’s risk profile. If the licence gets disqualified during the validation process, then the employer will be notified immediately.

Third-party licence checking services conduct the driving licence validation process using the Access to Driver Data (ADD) service. ADD gives real-time driving licence information through a business-to-business interface. ADD includes all the necessary information needed such as driver’s name, date of birth, address, and other driving details such as entitlement, disqualifications, and penalties. ADD provides 24/7 real-time driving licence data. ADD gives you a quick response with accurate licence/driver information. If there is no information available, it returns a simple response saying driver’s information is not available.

What Is Driver and Vehicle Information Solution (Davis)?

Davis is an expanded brand, which includes some additional information about the driver and vehicle. It is a cloud-based solution, which enables customers to add or remove various optional modules. It mainly covers four areas: the vehicle, its driver, Policies/Guidelines and driver/vehicle related services. The modular structure of Davis allows customers to utilize either a single service or a mixture of several services. This mix-and-match approach is highly beneficial to a business in that it allows them to add or remove modules when they want. Davis helps organizations to meet the regulations needed to avoid them receiving any unnecessary penalties.

Significance of the Licence Card Data Reader

Another service provided by a third-party licence checking service is a Card Reader (CDR). It captures all the licence/driver data in a single pass. Both sides can be read simultaneously. It just requires the software to be installed on a local PC to drive the reader. Using CDR, forged data can be detected easily. CDR is very user-friendly, and requires minimal training. Once the data is read, it is directly uploaded into the software. The CDR helps to speed the process up as it can read large amount of data in a short time.

Benefits of Driving Licence Checking and Validation

Driving licence validation can offer a lot of advantages to your company, some of them are listed below:

  1. Helps identify misinterpreted information and reduce the risk of forged documentation.
  2. Saves you time, because e-consent is valid for three years.
  3. Using the card data reader can validate international licences.
  4. Companies can avoid potential penalties.
  5. Business owners can have peace of mind. They can be confident about their employees driving licence and insurance information.
  6. Improves travel/road safety for everyone, including company, customer, and the driver.

 

Tips On Reducing Health Care

When it comes to lowering your health insurance premiums it takes no rocket scientist to figure out how it’s done. If you’re trying to reduce your insurance premiums then you need to become less of a risk for the insurance companies. You can become less of a risk for insurance companies through exercise, eating healthy and preventative care.

If you’re not exercising at least three times per week then you have got to get on a program. A good program consists of you doing cardiovascular training three times per week for 45 minutes. You should be weight training at least twice per week for 30 minutes. For some, getting to the gym might be out of the question. If it’s difficult for you to get to the gym, then take up some other form of exercise including walking, running, hiking and sports.

If you’re not currently eating 5-6 meals per day then you have got to get on the band wagon. All nutritional experts agree on the principle of grazing throughout the day, taking in smaller portions for meals. When you are doing this you are allowing your body to digest food much easier thus creating a faster metabolism. When your metabolism speeds up then you are able to lose weight and get in shape. Along with eating five to six meals per day also remember to eat healthy. The best part about eating healthy is that there are many options for healthy food. The best tip for eating healthy is to keep it as natural as possible. Try to avoid processed food at all costs.

Preventative care is you being proactive with your body, and going in for a check-up if something feels out of place. Preventive care is you avoiding unnecessary risks that could jeopardize your health. This mindset is you acting, and not being acted upon. If you are truly exercising a preventative attitude then you won’t allow yourself to get obese or unhealthy, because you are in control of your future. If you exercise, eat healthy, and implement preventative health care, you will be able to not only live longer and healthier, but you will also have reduced your health care substantially.

The Trouble With Granite

Your granite counter-tops are beautiful, and you were attracted to them because they are a natural product, but now comes all the news coverage of their potential health threat. How do you know if your granite counter-tops are giving off radiation?

The easiest way to find out is to hire someone with a Geiger counter to measure the levels coming off the granite. The truth is, most granite will emit a tiny amount of radioactive energy. What is coming off the granite counters is called radon progeny or radon daughters, and is the result of naturally occurring radioactive elements such as uranium or radium decaying. It can also emanate from basements, or any place the earth is exposed. In an outdoor setting it’s harmless, as the radon becomes diluted with fresh air. But in confined settings such as basements or kitchens, it can build up, posing more of a health risk.

If your counter is emitting just a tiny amount, this isn’t something to worry about. But some counters tested have hot-spots that emit levels of radiation that, with continued exposure, could cause health problems later on in life. And while some reports state that these dangers are more common in exotic colors like reds and purples, they’ve also been detected in the mottled beige to yellow counters that are actually quite common.

As gorgeous as granite is, it might be a good idea to have yours tested. The Environmental Protection Agency states that about 20,000 people die annually from lung cancer related to radon exposure. That’s not something to ignore. If your levels are low, like at or below 2-3 picocuries, it may be enough to install a good air exchange system in your kitchen. But if the level are high, replacing your counter may be the prudent thing to do. But don’t worry. Unless you’ve had these counter tops for decades, and work in the kitchen all day, you’re probably perfectly healthy. However, limiting your exposure to radon is always a good idea. It is probably best to consult a professional to determine whether your radon levels are high enough to be a concern.

If you haven’t bought granite yet, but are considering it, ask the supplier about radon levels. Find a responsible dealer that has invested in a Geiger counter. If the granite or marble dealer simply denies any risk, consider them uninformed. Of course they want to minimize the perception of risk. Their business depends on it. But a responsible business owner will test the product and only sell low to no-risk granite. That’s who you want to buy from.

Kidney Transplant – Patient Assessment Factors

When kidneys stop working effectively, you either have an option of a dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis ensures that you get rid of the waste products from your body but it does not replace all the functions of the kidneys. When you are diagnosed with failing kidneys, treatment can sometimes prevent or at least delay their complete failure.

However, with a transplant, your body can continuously remove the waste products of metabolism, and excess fluid. Kidneys also help in the production of a natural hormone called erythropoietin that prevents anemia. It also helps convert the vitamin D in food into an active compound that helps keep bones healthy. Moreover, it helps excretion of some toxic drugs. Finally, it plays an important role in helping control blood pressure.

Kidneys normally undertake all these functions. It is a known fact that kidney transplant provides patients with a better quality of life than dialysis.

Assessment for kidney transplant

There are a few very important factors to be checked before you undergo kidney transplant surgery. To begin with, you will be referred to transplant only when you are nearing or have started dialysis.

  • There is no dependency on age factor or ethnic background when it comes to assessment for a transplant. It all depends on whether you are fit enough to have the operation and deal with all the after effects of the surgery.
  • Some of the factors checked are evidence of heart disease, chest conditions and other problems. Special investigations are conducted to assess whether these risk factors are too great for transplant.
  • Next there will be a thorough discussion between the specialists such as the surgeons, nephrologist, cardiologist and the physician before the decision is finalized.
  • Once you are considered fit enough for a transplant, the specialists will explain all the risks and benefits to you.
  • Many times there is a waiting list for a transplant.
  • There will be a number of tests conducted to check whether you have had certain virus infections.
  • Well, the specialists will also ask you whether you have any close friends or family who are willing to be live donors.
  • Live donor transplants are known to give the kidneys a better chance of long term survival as compared to diseased donor transplants.

Whether you receive a particular donor kidney or not is determined initially by the blood group. It is pretty difficult to get two people to be perfectly alike, because the genes are different. It is however possible to achieve a good enough match for a successful transplant. The surgery takes around three hours and appropriate care needs to be taken post operation too. 

The Strategies to Empower Your Call Center Business

Running an operationally efficient call center that delivers a high-quality customer experience can be a difficult objective to achieve. Consumers are becoming increasingly know-how and their expectations for quality customer service and support is steadily growing. Most corporations may see a contact center as an added expense but as you weigh things down, you find that a call center is a necessity for your business to thrive. It is quite a task to systematically deliver excellent customer service while cutting down additional costs. This may seem intimidating, but it is definitely possible to transform your contact center into a profit-producing asset. But it is difficult to handle a call center with the upper level of customers’ satisfaction.

Here, I am going to represent some ideas of specific strategies to empower your call center business to get the high level of customer satisfaction which will affect your sales graph positively.

Support social media:

While the phone remains at the heart of customer contact centers. There is an increasing need to effectively manage data from multiple channels thanks to the exponential rise in social networks like Twitter and Facebook. This requires solutions that have both the intelligence and flexibility to adapt changing market and consumer needs.

Social media has empowered consumers to become broadcasters or journalists, so speedy and flexible customer service is critical. A complaint sent via Twitter that is left unanswered could spread internationally overnight.

Empower your employee:

Employees are the main factor of a call center who have to communicate with customers directly. We can say that the employees are the heart of a company. So, enable your employees to make their own recommendations on improvements, after all, they are much closer to the working procedure than senior management.

A focused call center can help a brand realize its goal whether that be higher levels of customer satisfaction, more revenue per customer or driving increases in sales. Establishing the right policies and working practices can empower call center employees to support the brand and the business.

Refining Your Customer Service Strategy:

Your customer care center will work in tandem with your call center software to create synergies in your customer service department. One of the biggest advantages of this software is its ability to collaborate with your customer history. For instance, say you get calls from a long time customer on a monthly basis. Call center software can be set to display “screen pops,” which allow the agent instant information as soon as the call is answered, reducing call times and customer satisfaction. Screen pops can be customized but most commonly will include customer purchase and return data on every inbound call.

It doesn’t matter if you are making inbound or outbound phone calls providing customers and prospective clients with the right answers, faster can really streamline your sales efforts.

Know your customer:

Understanding the demographics of your customers is a key first step toward determining which tools and approaches will best help you achieve your business objectives. For example, tech-savvy customers will likely expect to connect with you through more technical channels, such as online forms, chat sessions, or social media drove community-based solutions. Less tech-savvy customers, on the other hand, may require more traditional, higher-touch solutions, such as phone, fax, or email.